


in this heart of mine

by shortcircuitify



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M, Secret Children, Secret Marriage, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-25
Updated: 2020-04-25
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:14:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23832964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shortcircuitify/pseuds/shortcircuitify
Summary: Tenten looks away, her bangs hiding the tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. From jealousy and desire and the innocence of the baby in her arms. She turns to Metal Lee, and imagines what her features would look like on her own child’s face.After a year long mission, Rock Lee returns with a wife and a child. Tenten learns to adjust.
Relationships: Nara Shikamaru/Temari, Rock Lee/Tenten, rock lee/kurotsuchi
Comments: 5
Kudos: 17





	in this heart of mine

Heavy footfalls crowd the entrance to her small weapons shop, slightly uneven and slow, as if the person walking is in a daze. Tenten smirks, already knowing who it is without even looking up.

“Yes, what is it, Shikamaru?”

She hears him _tsk_ behind her as she wipes dust off one of her display shelfs. As the years after the war slowly tick on, her store becomes less and less frequented, and dust more than anything else crowds her in the slow hours of noon.

“And how did you know it was me?”

“How could I _not?”_

She hears him mutter _troublesome_ under his breath, his feet scratching the wood floors. She doesn’t smell fresh food in the air, hot and sizzling, so he hasn’t come with the lunch that Temari usually prepares for her, when she is here in-between missions, too busy with her slow shop and making sure Lee isn’t getting in trouble to remember to take care of herself. It makes her feel guilty, some days, but most days her cooking is so delicious she can’t make herself to ask Temari to stop.

“So, Temari decided I should actually start taking care of myself?” She reaches up on her tiptoes to the highest shelf of the display, where her most treasured swords lay, away from the greedy hands of children that wander into her shop.

“She’s busy,” she can almost see Shikamaru shrug.

“Hm? Really?”

“Yeah, a certain ninja in a certain green suit has decided to come back into town.”

Tenten’s heart thumps rapidly in her chest at his words, the sword almost falling on her head as she trips at Shikamaru’s words. She turns sharply to him, a blush already blooming on her face and her hands unconsciously trailing to her twin buns, hastily tied together with hairs already poking out in all directions. Why couldn’t she have taken more time this morning, trying to look somewhat presentable? _Stupid Tenten._

Shikamaru waits, watching her, and she becomes frustrated enough that she pulls him by the arm out of the shop, not even bothering to lock up behind her.

“What are you waiting for?” She pants, ignoring Shikaramaru’s token protests that his arm hurts, rushing towards Konoha’s gates, “When did he get back? How is he doing? Has he eaten yet? I’m sure I could take an early break –“

“Someone’s excited,” he deadpans, trying to keep up with her brutal pace as she rockets towards her destination.

She growls, ears heating, “It’s only been _a year_ , after all.”

A peaceful negotiation mission, of course, for the ever-optimistic Rock Lee. Those are always the longest, and Tenten will never admit that she couldn’t sleep for a week after hearing the news. It was only harder after he left, after he had hugged her tightly and given her one of his signature smiles, before disappearing into the green of the forest.

Shikamaru huffs, “Listen, Tenten, you should know –“

But it’s already too late as the looming gates over Konoha come into view, a small crowd made up of Temari, Naruto and Hinata and their children, and Sakura surrounding a mop of hair that is all too familiar to Tenten. She can already feel a smile crawling at the corners of her mouth, her grin wide as she lets go of Shikamaru to make her way through the crowd. Has he changed? Does he look different? No, he always looks like Lee. Maybe now she could find the courage to –

“Lee-“ she calls, her voice excited and alive before it is cut off by a sharp gasp, her eyes widening as she looks at the scene before her, muscles stiffening.

There is Lee, of course, a vibrant smile on his face, more so than his usual smile, and in the crook of his arm there is a woman, her face drawn tight, and in her arms, there is a small bundle, wiggling around, soft cries coming from it and lost in the afternoon air. Lee’s nose is against her cheek, and he looks so happy, and there is only one thing that can explain all of this and Tenten is sure she looks as white as a sheet and she is certain her blood has drained into the ground below her and –

He turns, and lights up when he notices it is her, his lifelong teammate, friend and nothing more, “Tenten!” He waves, but does not move from his family, “I have someone I would like you to meet,” and there is such excitement in his voice she does not want to disappoint him.

She knows she should move, but her muscles are jelly. She feels a strong hand on her shoulder, Temari’s voice looming over the gaping chasm that has surely formed between them, “Sorry, Lee. Tenten has forgotten to eat lunch again and she’s looking a little pale. I’ll make sure she gets to bed, gets the rest she needs.”

His smile pales slightly, but it is still large, his excitement not able to be dampened for long, “Oh, of course. Feel better, Tenten, I will see you soon!”

Temari takes Tenten’s hand in hers, pulling her gently away from Naruto’s sharp laugh and Saruka’s _congratulations!_ She does not say anything, and Tenten is grateful for it. She feels a numbing hole filling her stomach, and empty words would not be able to fill it.

Temari leads her into her own home, pulling her down onto the couch with her, her arm winding around her waist until Tenten is leaning into her side. Temari is strong, and she would argue Tenten is even stronger. She has weathered heart breaks much larger than this, challenges that would have chiseled stone into sand. But there are some burdens not to be dealt with alone. Tenten has never said anything, her secrets close to her heart, but Temari is a woman, and has seen the signs for herself as the years wore on in the Village of Leaves. Tenten is obvious and oblivious, and her affection for Lee perhaps the most obvious of them all. And so, she holds her, silently, as Tenten shakes. No tears come, but Temari’s soothing hand on her arm helps bleed away her dulled senses.

…

“You really don’t need to-“

“I insist,” and there is no brokering in Temari’s voice as she sifts through Tenten’s shelves, looking for something to make a meal of.

Dusk is settling over the village, street lamps slowly being lit in the pale, and Tenten’s eyes feel dry and sore despite not crying.

“It’s nothing.”

Temari sighs, and it sounds suspiciously like Shikamaru, “I’ve been sitting with you on the couch for hours, and you’ve only moved for the past half,” she turns then, eyes boring into Tenten, “You don’t need to lie to me. I understand.”

Tenten bites her lip, the sudden pressure behind her eyes stifling, “I’m sorry. I just – thank you.”

Temari hums, and Tenten curls into a ball, watching the sun slowly setting over Konoha through her window. She wonders what Lee is doing.

“So, is that his…” she trails off, suddenly not wanting to know.

“Wife and son? Yes.”

Tenten is not stupid, it was clear from the way Lee was beaming, the child already looking like his father, but the knowledge still stings.

“Oh,” she suddenly feels tired and lonely.

Temari puts a variety of ingredients into the pot over the stove, lighting the fire underneath with ease. This isn’t the first time she has cooked for Tenten, certainly not the last.

“It was a quick marriage,” her voice is quiet but rigid, knows that Tenten needs to understand, “At least, that’s what his wife told me when they got here. She was pregnant and it wouldn’t do to have a child out of wedlock, now, would?” there is a sharp edge to her voice.

“What’s her name?”

“Kurotsuchi.”

Tenten’s lips thin into a tight line, “That’s a beautiful name.”

Temari, finished putting her impromptu dinner together and leaving it to boil, sits across from Tenten, watching her face carefully.

“She’s from Iwagakure. That’s all I know.”

Tenten hums, low and quiet.

“How about a drink?”

Tenten, numb, wholeheartedly agrees.

…

“Are you feeling better, Tenten?”

She looks up at Lee, his bright eyes searching hers for any signs of fatigue or wear. Their tea steams between them, the café around them bustling as Konoha wakes up. She has had a week to herself, given Lee a week for him and his wife to becomes settled once more into the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

She gives him a wan smile, “Much, thank you.”

He blinks, waiting for her to say more. She should ask about his wife, and child, but she does not want to know. She knows it is rude, and guilt eats at her stomach for it, so she takes a sip of tea to help ease the ache.

He grins at her, that blinding smile that she has missed so much, “I have truly missed you, Tenten! You must tell me how the shop is doing, I have been away for so long.”

She shrugs, awkwardly. It is hard to look at his face, now.

“It’s… a lot of the same. Mostly new students buying training equipment. You’re my best customer, unfortunately.”

He gives her another bright, big smile and she turns away, takes a sip of her tea even though it burns her tongue.

“It’s seems like you’ve been busy, while you’ve been gone,” she tries to hide the venom in her voice, but it seeps through.

Lee ignores it, or is oblivious, and blushes, “I was stationed in Iwagakure for negotiations. I met Kurotsuchi very early on. She is the granddaughter of the Third Tsuchikage, and highly respected. And she was… very forward,” Tenten blocks the images from her mind, of sweaty skin and moans and Lee… “She is fiercely loyal, and calm, and beautiful.”

Tenten’s brows furrow, burrows her frown in her tea, “What would the granddaughter of the Tsuchikage want with our town?” Tenten tries imagining Naruto living someplace else, but the thought is bizarre.

Lee continues, fidgets with his fingers, “The negotiations did not take long. But I had many missions, and they were close to Iwagakure. So, I visited often. Not too long after, Kurotsuchi learned she was with child,” at this, Lee smiles, and it is so soft and so calm that Tenten barely recognizes him, “We married soon after, and she agreed to come to Konoha with me. I am very glad - I would miss all of my friends too much! Including you, Tenten!”

Here, Tenten is soft, thinks of the glimpse of a baby she saw when Lee came through the gates. His face was scrunched up and agitated, but he was so soft. She is weak, and reaches out, takes Lee’s hand in hers. His fingers curl around hers naturally.

“What’s his name?”

“Metal Lee!”

Tenten snorts, and then laughs, and then she is gripping her stomach from the pain.

“I hope you can meet him soon, since he brings you so much joy, Tenten!”

“I would… like that.”

…

Kurotsuchi is quiet, her face tight and lips tense, and Tenten bounces Metal Lee in her arms. Her heart aches looking at him, so much of Lee showing in his tiny face. She sees Kurotsuchi there too, and feels an ache deep in her chest throb.

“How are you liking Konoha so far?” Tenten asks, her mouth dry, eyes locked on the baby. His eyes are deep and dark and hold so many secrets.

Lee is in the kitchen, fixing lunch for the lot of them. Metal Lee is calm, blinking up at Tenten slowly, his eyes fixated on one of her buns, tiny hand trying to reach it.

“It’s is alright,” her voice is calm, gentle, but there is a coldness there. Perhaps she is still getting used to the village, “I haven’t been out very much, but the spring here is vibrant.”

Tenten smiles, does not look at her, and says, “It really is. The blossoms are lush, I’m sure Lee has shown you parts of the forest?”

The deep parts of the forest – the ones he showed her so long ago. For training and also for walking, where the blooms are the heaviest and the fullest. The parts of the forest that feel like magic.

“Not yet. He’s been busy meeting with the Hokage, for mission debriefs.”

“Ah,” and they fall into tense silence.

Lee enters and smiles seeing Kurotsuchi, sitting beside her. His arm wraps around her naturally, and she falls into his hold. Tenten looks away, her bangs hiding the tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. From jealousy and desire and the innocence of the baby in her arms. She turns to Metal Lee, and imagines what her features would look like on her own child’s face.

“Tenten was telling me about the forest, the spring blooms.”

Tenten does not look at him, but she can hear the smile in his voice, “Ah, yes! They are very beautiful, I will have to show you sometime.”

She thinks of Kurotsuchi in those magic parts of the forest, of her and Lee holding hands and mouths entwined and the blooms surrounding them.


End file.
